We started the New Year thinking that we will probably name our next son after Joseph in the Old Testament. However, it never dawned on me that the adoptive father of Jesus was also named Joseph and the Bible says that Joesph was a “Righteous” man.
I have a new hero for 2009.
Ronnie
The following is in an article by John Ortnberg.
Joseph, Scripture says, was a righteous man. There’s a rich history behind this idea. The Hebrew word for a righteous man is tsaddîyq. Joseph was a tsaddîyq, and this means he was known for his uncompromising obedience to the Torah, the law of Moses. (For some of this concept I’m indebted to an article by Scott McKnight, a New Testament scholar.)
Joseph didn’t eat unclean food. He didn’t mix with the wrong kinds of people. He didn’t keep his carpentry shop open on the Sabbath to make a few extra drachmas. He was a tsaddîyq; that was his identity. Everybody knew this about him. Nobody invited Joseph over to have ham sandwiches with tax collectors and prostitutes. He was what people wanted to be. Like a businessman in our day wants to be a CEO, or like an athlete wants to be an all-star, an Israelite wanted to be a tsaddîyq. Becoming one meant you were admired and looked up to. Then you were somebody. And that was Joseph.
You can read the entire article here: http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/currenttrendscolumns/leadershipweekly/cln61127.html?start=1